25.09.2004 ExxonMobil completes analysis of Kazakh gas sector: www.interfax.com
Almaty. (Interfax) - The Kazakh Energy and Mineral Resource Ministry, the national oil and gas company KazMunaiGaz and the U.S. company ExxonMobil have completed a joint project to analyze the republic's gas sector. ExxonMobil said in a press release distributed on Thursday that the project includes an analysis of the balance of supply and demand for Kazakh natural gas, possible investment in developing gas infrastructure, viable export options, the targeted development of the petrochemical industry and also the legislative base for the gas and petrochemical industries. The final results of the analysis will be presented to the Kazakh government this week, the press release said. It has been recommended to the government to use this analysis to develop a comprehensive law on gas and the corresponding regulatory base, to help the development of the gas industry and the domestic petrochemical industry. This analysis was carried out at the request of the Kazakh government. In February 2003 the Kazakh Energy and Mineral Resource Ministry, KazMunaiGaz and ExxonMobil Kazakhstan Gas Ventures Ltd. signed an agreement to implement this project, which involved an analysis of natural gas resources and the development of a long-term plan to develop these resources. ExxonMobil projects in Kazakhstan include a 25% stake in the development of the Tengiz field, a 16.67% stake in a production sharing agreement for the North Caspian and a 7.5% stake in the Caspian Pipeline Consortium. According to Kazakh state statistics, the republic produced 7.196 billion cubic meters of gas in gas form in January-August 2004, up 51% year-on-year. Kazakhstan hopes to increase gas production to 60 bcm by 2010.

25.09.2004 KazMunaiGaz, S. Korea agree on oil projects: www.interfax.com
Astana. (Interfax) - Kazakhstan's national oil and gas company KazMunaiGaz and South Korean firms have agreed on the joint implementation of a number of oil projects in Kazakhstan. KazMunaiGaz's press office said a protocol had been signed with a Korean consortium on the development of the Zhambyl offshore section in the northwest Caspian. The partners will by the end of the year hold negotiations on the main principles of cooperation and start to draft a mineral development contract to be signed in 2005, KazMunaiGaz said. KazMunaiGaz and the consortium earlier formed a working group to assess the hydrocarbons potential of the Makhambet elevation in the northwest Caspian. KazMunaiGaz and the Korean National Petroleum Corporation signed a memorandum of understanding to start talks on the sale to the Korean company of 69% of KazMunaiGaz's interest in the TOO Tenge company. The Tenge offshore field in the Mangistau region holds 13.7 million tonnes of recoverable oil.

25.09.2004 S. Korea to contribute to geological study of Kazakh oil reserves: http://www.hitech-store.com
Astana. (Interfax-Kazakhstan) - South Korea will take part in a geological study of oil reserves off Kazakhstan's coast of the Caspian Sea and on land. Contracts on the exploration of specific deposits may be signed following the study. This agreement comes as part of a memorandum of mutual understanding and cooperation in the area of energy and mineral resources, which was signed on Monday, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev told a news conference following talks with his South Korean counterpart Roh Moo Hyun in Astana on the same day. "Geological research efforts will be carried out both on the shelf and on land. I hope that contracts will be signed following the study, and these contracts will be put into practice," he said. The South Korean president arrived in Kazakhstan on a two-day state visit on Sunday.

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